


Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground

by marsisaplanet



Series: Faking God [2]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternative Universe - Mafia, Dismemberment, M/M, Minor Character Death, The author does not know how violence works
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:42:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28547307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marsisaplanet/pseuds/marsisaplanet
Summary: Corpse had been hired to stake out a Chicago forest in the middle of autumn. A man in a green suit arrives on the scene post murder.OR:Corpse and Sykkuno flirting over a dead body. Also Rae makes an appearance.
Relationships: Corpse Husband/Sykkuno (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: Faking God [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2091486
Comments: 25
Kudos: 485
Collections: Server Simps





	Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground

**Author's Note:**

> TW: blood, very minor character death, general mafia stuff as well as uhhhh minor dismemberment???

It was autumn in the city. It was strange being away from home, a different place where leaves actually fell. Corpse supposed it was nice. A change of pace was always welcome. Perhaps he would be granted some perspective. 

Chicago was much colder than southern California. It certainly fit his job description more. The bustle of the streets, the cloudiness that loomed over him. It fit his personality as well. 

But Corpse wouldn’t be able to stay too long. He might be able to enjoy a hot dog or a slice of deep dish, but he would be flown back to Los Angeles in about three hours. 

For now he would just have to be content with lying on the wet ground, his black cargo pants covered with leaves. He somehow managed to blend in with the forest and the oranges, reds, and browns that surrounded him. 

He’d never been in a real forest before. And in autumn too? He must be incredibly lucky. But he wasn’t here for pleasure. Corpse was lying on his stomach in the middle of Illinois so he could track his mark with a rifle and a scope. 

He was wearing an eyepatch under the mask. It was easier to keep track and sight his mark that way. People have dominant hands, but they also have dominant eyes. Having both of them open at the same time was a bit of a distraction for him. It was easier to block out the world with some ear plugs in and his eye looking through a tube.

Corpse tracked his rifle, shifting the weapon from his left to his right before the red lines of the scope lined up with a man dressed all in orange. The man he was hired to kill by the very cartel he was avoiding. It was a simple process really, all Corpse had to do was one little movement. He just had to crook his finger.

And so he did. 

The bullet hit the man directly in his temple, right above his left ear, causing him to crumple to the ground, face first. 

Corpse stood up and strapped his gun to his back before looking down at his pants and sighing. The leaves may be gorgeous, but they were still a mess. He brushed off his pants and walked over to the man. The leaves didn’t crunch under his feet. 

He flipped the man over so that he was on his back. It would make it easier for him to slide the man into a grave. He brought a shovel for a reason. He was always prepared. He had a reputation to uphold. 

Corpse brushed the leaves on the spot aside before beginning to dig. It was easier to build a vertical hole and much easier for the body to not be found. He unplugged his ears now, this was the hard part. The forest was silent except for the falling of leaves and birds chirping. It was a nice sort of quiet, not like the numbing silence of his brain.

He took in a deep breath before continuing. He would have to make sure that the leaves covered the hole and that the ground was flat. A mound of dirt isn’t something you typically come across in a forest. Especially in the autumn. 

The silence was much more comfortable now that Corpse had been settled in it for about five minutes. This was the kind of place he could get used to. Isolated, alone, away from others. But his silence was disturbed by the crunching of leaves behind him.

Corpse grabbed his rifle and turned around instantly, only to realize his gun was pointed at a man in a dark green suit. 

“Watch where you’re pointing that,” the man chuckled as he raised his hands in surrender. Corpse once again strapped the rifle to his back. 

“Are you following me?” Corpse asked. It had been about a week since he had last seen the man. The fact that they were both in the same forest, thousands of miles away from home, couldn’t be a coincidence. 

“Don’t flatter yourself,” he replied, stepping closer to Corpse. “I thought you would’ve called me by now.”

“I’ve been a bit busy Sykkuno,” Corpse said. The man smiled when he heard Corpse say his name. 

“I suppose those introductions are out of the way then.”

“It was an unusual way to go about things,” Corpse said as he turned around to face the body in front of him.

“Most business associates have cards,” Sykkuno said somewhat defensively. Corpse knelt down to look at the body and then the hole before sighing. He was only three feet deep. Sykkuno knelt down beside him. 

It was the first time Corpse had seen his full face. He was just as handsome as he had imagined. All hot chocolate eyes and fluffy raven hair. He looked kind, but Corpse knew better. No one in this business had the luxury of kindness. But, maybe Sykkuno was a bit different? He had already surprised Corpse once. It’s more than likely that he would do it again. 

“Why do they call you the Gardener?” Corpse asked. Sykkuno chuckled.

“Now where did you hear about that?” Sykkuno asked. 

“I have connections,” Corpse replied smoothly.

In reality, it was all because of one red suited woman at the Comfy Cartel. Rae was like a younger sister to him. When she heard of his escapades at the hotel, she was more than happy to provide him with information. All it took was a simple phone call and she was at his apartment in two minutes. 

She knocked “Shave and a Haircut” on Corpse’s door. He replied “Two bits” with his fist before unlocking it. She stormed past him, a bottle of red in her hand, before arriving in his kitchen and slamming the bottle on top of his marble countertop. 

“What the fuck?” she said. “What the actual, fuck.”

“He was cute,” Corpse mumbled.

“Well no fucking shit,” Rae yelled as she opened the bottle. “He’s my fucking partner! Out of anyone, you’re hired to kill my partner.”   
  


“I didn’t kill him though. . .” Corpse shot finger guns at Rae. She just stared at him. It was a look of both exasperation and disappointment. 

“Well,” she said, turning to look for Corpse’s glasses. “I’m glad you didn’t. But the fact remains that you’ve fucked up.”

She poured the wine into both of the glasses before pushing one at Corpse. He sat down across from her. Rae didn’t sit down, instead she chose to glower at him from the sink. 

“They’re not going to come after me,” Corpse said before taking a sip. “What is this? It’s good.”

“You’re deflecting.”

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

“Am not.”

“Yes you fucking are Corpse!” Rae said. She still hadn’t touched her drink. Corpse decided that he shouldn’t take another sip until she did. 

“They’re not going to come after me,” Corpse repeated, this time a bit more harsh. Rae sighed before running her hands through her hair. 

“You should take the job,” she said. 

“Don’t-” Corpse began.

“You should!” Rae said. “It’s simple, you should take it. Stop brooding and join the cartel. You’d have protection and. . . And maybe you wouldn’t be so lonely for once.”

“I don’t brood,” Corpse scoffed.

“Oh please,” Rae said, she finally took a sip. Corpse was in the clear. 

“I’m not lonely either,” Corpse said. “I’ve got Jack and Dave.”

“True,” Rae said with a shrug. “But that’s entirely different and you know it.”

They were both right in a sense. Corpse wasn’t lonely, he had two close friends who were also in the business that worked alone. Alone.

“Just because I work alone doesn’t mean that I’m lonely,” Corpse said. Rae sighed before shaking head, walking over to sit next to Corpse.

“Out of all of the people you’re sent to find,” she lets out a laugh. “They tell you to kill The Gardener.”

Corpse raised an eyebrow at the nickname, but Rae just shook her head and dismissed the remark with the wave of her hand.

“He’s a good person,” Rae said. “A genuinely good person.”

“So are you,” Corpse replied. Rae pointed at him.

“That’s different and you know it,” she said yet again. “Sykkuno is thoughtful. He can be patient but he can still be ruthless and deadly. He’s everything you look for in a partner.”

Corpse was silent as she talked. He listened as she talked about the missions her and Sykkuno had been on. About their code words, their inside jokes. After awhile she finally looked at him and said:

“Thank you.” It was a whisper. It was soft. It meant a million things that Rae couldn’t have said. 

“It’s not a big deal,” Corpse said. Rae let out a cynical laugh.

“Yes it is,” Rae said. “And you know it is. If word gets out about this-”

“It won’t,” Corpse said. “I told you it won’t. I took care of the situation already.”

“Wh-who?” Rae stammered out. “Who?”

“It’s unimportant,” Corpse said. “But it’ll be a big favor to Scarra in the end. Don’t tell him about this.” 

And with that the conversation was over. Rae left with a hug and a promise to call, and Corpse was alone with his thoughts of a man in a green suit. 

Until he saw him in the forest and asked Sykkuno about the nickname that slipped out of Rae’s mouth. 

“I just really like plants,” Sykkuno finally said before kneeling down and looking at the man Corpse had just killed.    
  


“I sincerely doubt that’s the reason,” Corpse replied. 

“I have a garden,” Sykkuno said as he pulled a knife out of his suit pocket. He flipped it open, looked at the man, and then slit his throat without flinching. Corpse swallowed quickly. He didn’t know if it was the way Sykkuno held the knife or his confidence that made him so bothered. 

“Well damn. . .” he murmured at the sight of blood dripping into the ground. 

“Let’s just say that the fertilizer I use is. . . man made,” Sykkuno replied before pulling a small glass vial and holding it against the man’s neck. “I find that blood meal helps improve the soil quality.”

All Corpse could do was nod.

“Scarra also needed proof of your work,” Sykkuno said. “This seemed like a beneficial way to get evidence for both myself and him.”

“Why don’t you just take a finger?” Corpse asked. “Seems a lot more efficient.”

“Well usually I take the whole body,” Sykkuno replied, waiting for the vial to fill. 

“Ah, worried about customs?” 

“The TSA is the least of my worries,” Sykkuno said with a laugh. “Besides, we have a pretty big budget. I’m a big enough deal to get in the jet.”

“So then Scarra sent you out here?” Corpse asked.

“No actually,” Sykkuno corked the vial before placing it in his suit pocket. “I offered.”

So Corpse wasn’t imagining things. Sykkuno was just as interested in him as he was in Sykkuno. The man took the time out of his schedule to do a silly errand for Scarra that a grunt could do. Corpse cleared his throat.

“So I wasn’t wrong,” Corpse said. “You are stalking me.”

“Only because I’m being paid to,” Sykkuno said with a laugh. He looked at the body and then the hole. “Do you want help with that?”

“Are you offering to add this body to your graveyard?” Corpse asked. 

“I’m not exactly sure how I’d drag a body into the Mercedes,” Sykkuno replied.

“Well,” Corpse said. “I wouldn’t want you to get your suit dirty.” 

“I don’t mind,” Sykkuno said. “The company isn’t so bad.”

The two men looked at eachother, still kneeling over the body they had discussed plenty, but were currently ignoring. After all, Corpse could only think of hot chocolate eyes, fluffy raven hair. 

“Come on,” Sykkuno said. “I’ll make sure everything’s properly covered.”

“Take a finger,” Corpse said. 

“Why?” Sykkuno laughed.

“So Scarra can keep it,” Corpse said. “More proof than a vial of blood. Besides, you need that blood. Scarra can keep a finger.”

Sykkuno nodded before flipping the knife in his hand casually. The blade cut through the man’s skin, crunching as it hit bone. Sykkuno pulled and then twisted, the skin disconnecting. He took the vial and the finger and put it in a ziplock bag that had daisies on it.

“Cute,” Corpse said. 

“Sometimes you need bright things with a job this dark,” Sykkuno replied. 

“Is that why you have so many plants?” Corpse asked as he began to dig the hole again.

“No,” Sykkuno said, watching Corpse work. “I’ve always enjoyed them, it wasn’t a new thing. What about you?”

“Hmm?”

“How do you stay sane?” Sykkuno said. 

“What’s to say that any of us are?” Corpse replied. Four feet in now. Sykkuno laughed.

“You know what I mean Corpse.”

He was silent. He hadn’t told anyone about his hobbies. Jack and Dave knew, only because they collaborated with him frequently. Like he told Rae, he was alone, but he wasn’t lonely.

“I make music, “Corpse whispered. Five feet in.

“Wow!’ Sykkuno said, genuinely in awe. “That’s so cool.”

“I’m not that good at it,” Corpse said, making sure the dirt he was throwing was nowhere near Sykkuno. 

“Nonsense,” Sykkuno said, he placed a hand on Corpse’s shoulder causing the man to instantly freeze. “I’m sure what you do is lovely. Like I said, you’re an artist.”

“If anything you’re the artist Sykkuno,” Corpse said. Six feet. Complete.

“What do you mean?” Sykkuno asked. 

“You do everything for a reason,” Corpse replied, shaking the dirt off of his hands. “It’s crafted carefully. I bet your garden is lovely.”

“I-” Sykkuno was blushing. His face was red from the apples of his cheeks to the tips of his ears and good god, was it adorable. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome,” Corpse said, it was hard to hide his smile. 

Corpse pushed the body so it fit in the hole vertically before covering the body in dirt. Unbeknownst to him, Sykkuno was gathering leaves. He plopped the warm colors on top of the mound of dirt with a look of satisfaction. 

“Well,” Sykkuno said. “Good job.” Corpse just nodded, studying the bends and curves of Sykkuno’s face. He knew he would see Sykkuno again. He just wasn’t sure when that would be or if he would be alone. 

“Do you need a ride to the airport?” Sykkuno asked. 

“No uh, Scarra already paid for my flight,” Corpse said. “Doesn’t seem right to waste it.”

“Did you accept the job?” Sykkuno asked. “I wasn’t told if this was a one time thing or not.”

“I haven’t decided yet,” Corpse said.

“That means you’re considering it,” Sykkuno said, his smile widening. Corpse rolled his eyes.

“I have more reasons to join at the moment,” Corpse replied. He remembered what Rae had said. Protection. Connections. Sykkuno.

“And those reasons?” Sykkuno asked, his head tilted like a curious puppy. 

“I’ll tell you next time,” Corpse replied. 

“Next time?” Sykkuno’s smile grew even wider. 

“Yes,” Corpse said, extending his hand out for Sykkuno to grab. “Next time.”

Sykkuno gently placed his hand in Corpse’s, expecting a handshake or maybe even a hug. He wasn’t expecting for Corpse to kiss the top of his hand with the grace of a Regency era gentleman. 

Corpse looked up at him, his lips still close to his hand. Sykkuno just nodded before looking out into the forest, back the way he came. 

“I have to go now,” Sykkuno whispered. 

“I know,” Corpse replied. 

“I’m not quite sure that I want to leave.” It was an admission that caused Corpse’s heart to melt into a puddle. 

“I’ll see you soon enough,” he replied. 

Sykkuno nodded yet again, his eyes dark and wide like a doe’s. He opened his mouth, about to say something, but then he closed it and walked out of the forest. Out of the warm leaves. The oranges, reds, and browns, that Corpse wished he could get more of. 

But the dark green of Sykkuno’s suit was a nice touch. It was art. And after all, Sykkuno was an artist. 

**Author's Note:**

> Back on my Comfy Cartel Bullshit. Someone on my last fic commented "I want Sykkuno to slit my throat" so you can thank them for this fic. 
> 
> AO3: marsisaplanet  
> BLR: thebriarpatch
> 
> Thank you for all of your support!


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